Wednesday, August 8, 2012

As usual yesterday's subscriber special sold in mere minutes. That is the norm for subscriber
specials these days, but what was interesting was that the gentleman who bought the watch
told us that he did so because one of the lines in the newsletter description perfectly described
the person he was buying the watch for.'This is perfect watch for the lady who doesn't want to their watch shout out, yet still wants to
enjoy a quality watch' That got us thinking about watches, style and personality. They say 'that clothes maketh the man',
but many people don't always have the option to really make a statement about our personality
through our clothes on a daily basis, especially those who wear a uniform, a suit in the office or
those comfortable weekend clothes. That means that for many of us our watch probably speaks
more about our true selves than any other part of our clothing.Here is a quick ride though a few personality styles which you might not agree with, and as usual
feel free to tell us if you feel that we are way wrong. So without further ado, put on those
sunglasses... lets start with....*** Bling!!!!For those who's personality is larger than life, and certainly louder than the dress code at work!
These watches often sparkle like their owners by utilising diamonds and pearl dials. They stand
out from the crowd, catch the light and everyone's attention.
Whilst the allure of diamonds is universal and totally understood, the beauty of Mother of Pearl
is that blends with many skin tones and helps to highlight the effects of both diamonds and gold.
Blending diamonds with pearl produces a watch that is perfect when dressed up for dinner, and
yet also not at all out of place when dressed down for a day out in the sun.
The Omega is pure bling with a serious diamond count surrounding its pearl dial, itself with diamonds
on the markers, WOW! The Breitling might appear less obviously overt, yet that deep misty dial with
conversely laid subdials really catches the light better than any photo
could ever do justice, come in and see it!
Be the talk of the town with these watches!

Omega Seamaster diamond dial and bezel, mother of pearl

Breitling Chronomat Acier Limited Series, mother of pearl dial

*** Classic and SubtleWhilst subtle and classic are really two slightly different things, we grouped them together in our
little office survey as often the more classically styled watches were favoured by those who don't
want to make a fuss or shout about their choice of watch, like the Omega from the subscribers
special yesterday.
These watches suit buyers that want to enjoy a quality watch but don't want anyone to feel they
are showing off. They offer clean styling and time reading is simple and clear. These are watches
that your colleagues would have to look closely to realise what they were, but of course you would
have them half hidden under a shift cuff anyway, its just who you are...
The clean and classic Omega watches are obviously subtle, but the solid gold Rolex is so nicely
toned down by the use of a leather strap that it's subtle as well as being a true classic.
Shussh! don't shout about these watches....

Omega Aqua Terra Quartz

1978. Rolex Oyster Datejust Ref. 1625

Omega DeVille Ref. 4813.40.01

*** ContemporaryWhen looking for a dressy watch that breaks away from the norm, it can be tough to locate something
that is different enough from the crowd that you can be safe in the knowledge that you've got something
that you wont see when you look around in a business meeting anytime soon. The people who are
attracted to these watches tend to be those that don't want to toe the party line and while they wont
often speak about it, they make their choices seriously with quality and style in mind.
Step away from the usual Rolex and Omega crowd and lets talk Cartier. Superb quality and watches
that whilst contemporary in design are also subtle as well as classics. Hard to go wrong of course
Be different...

Gents' Cartier Roadster Automatic in stainless steel

Gents' Cartier Santos 100 XL

*** Techno CoolWhile few will admit it, they are gadget freaks who will buy the latest technology no matter what
it is; ipod, iphone, ipad... and they would probably queue to buy an iwatch if one came on the market,
even if it wasn't actually of the quality they would usually favour in a timepiece. Then there are others
who make use of technology in their jobs, and like to have a watch that has extra functions. Plenty
of people use a stopwatch to time various things at work, and many Pilots enjoy having a watches
with extra time zones and other slide rule functions and we should not forget that NASA flight qualified
the Speedmaster and it helped save the Apollo 13 astronauts when their computer failed.
The Breitling Chronospace with dual time module is a technological tour de force and will keep any
techno junkie happy for ages, and the Tudor provides a simple and easy to use mechanical stopwatch
function yet in a more classic style. For those who just like technology but don't have the need, both
will of course time your boiled eggs and toast to perfection!
Far better than another iWatch rumour...

We often call them marvels of mechanical micro engineering, status symbols, precious heirlooms, and fashion accessories. And yes, of course that's what watches are. However, many of us simply forget the most important property of mechanical watches: the fact that they are designed and manufactured as precision AND accurate instruments.

(Although it is worth pointing out that many of these instruments are perhaps precise but not
actually that accurate, but don't worry I am not going to bore you with a discussion about either
precision or accuracy today! )

The point of this rant is this: While many can afford a mechanical watch, only some of us truly
understand the challenges related to using mechanical watches. Of course, it does take bit of
sophistication to truly appreciate a 300 component precision instrument. We might be rich by now
if we had a dollar for every time a customer asked us, "So I can't really wear it in shower?", "I
can play golf and jog with it, yes?" and, our 'favourite'; "What? I need to wind it manually...
every day? no way!", usually finishing with "... my $99 Casio never complained when I do all that
and more!"
Hmmm... Precisely !

If that is where you're coming from then obviously, due to your lack of appreciation and
sophistication, then no, this precision instrument is definitely *NOT* for you. I'm sorry, but
until watch owners care to learn the difference between the terms 'use' and 'abuse', they have no
right to call themselves watch aficionados; because, frankly, they are not.

Sadly the other end of spectrum is that there are those who are always happy to point out that
mechanical watches are designed to withstand extreme conditions. The proof is apparently in
the fact that many watches survived years of abuse before giving up.

While this is definitely a testimony to makers of fine watches, this argument alone makes very little
sense. Our aim is to preserve watches for next generation, enjoy the precision and accuracy,
marvel at their mechanical engineering: not to push them to limits or beyond.

After all, pushing to the limit and beyond has already been done 54 years ago. To be flight-qualified
by NASA for all manned space missions, the OMEGA Speedmaster Professional chronograph successfully
passed 11 different tests.

1. HIGH TEMPERATURE
48 hours at a temperature of 160 deg F (71 deg C) followed by 30 minutes at 200 deg F (93 deg C).
This under a pressure of 5.5 psia (0.35 atm) and relative humidity not exceeding 15%.

4. RELATIVE HUMIDITY
A total time of 240 hours at temperatures varying between 68 deg F and 160 deg F (20 degC and 71
degC) in a relative humidity of at least 95%. The steam used must have a pH value between 6.5 and 7.5.

9. HIGH PRESSURE
The equipment to be subjected to a pressure of 23.5 psia (1.6 atm) for a minimum period of one hour.
10. VIBRATION
Three cycles of 30 minutes (lateral, horizontal, vertical), the frequency varying from 5 to 2,000 cps
and back to 5 cps in 15 minutes. Average acceleration per impulse must be at least 8.8 g.

Thanks to its accuracy, reliability and sturdiness, the Omega Speedmaster Professional not only survived all
NASA lab tests, but continued to be an essential instrument in the exploration of Space for next decade. Yet,
it is interesting to note that we see no mention of 'the shower test', 'Golf test' in NASA's exhaustive testing
and it should be borne in mind that the watch is wound manually...

You
stand at the window and gaze upon the vista before you. The sun slowly
awakening from it's slumber as it begins to spread its warm glow out
over the city. Coffee aromas lift slowly in the atmosphere, mixing with
the honey upon your toast on the table. Immersed in yourself, ignoring
everything else around, you gently rotate the crown of your watch back
and forth whilst thinking about the day ahead.

Some rituals transcend time and space, that quote could be from a classic, or could have been you this morning....

Every few weeks we get
an email or a phone call from someone who wants to know a bit more about
watchwinders and questions why we no longer stock them, so we thought
we should explain our thoughts on these units with you, as some of you
probably have questions about them too.

These winders sound good but why do I need one? Mechanical
watches are superb devices that keep good time, but... as they are
based on a clockwork mechanism if they are not wound the spring runs
down and they stop. Watch manufacturers fixed this issue by developing
watches that use a battery instead of a spring for storing their power
and those watches will run from 12-60months depending brand/battery etc.
This is great if your watch is Quartz, but mechanical watches need
winding.

How do they work?A
watch winder usually takes the form of an attractive mechanical machine
and is used to keep automatic (self winding) watches wound and running
while they are not being worn. The machine rotates the watch which is an
action that mimics the way the watch is worn on a human wrist, thus
allowing the rotor (a moving weight inside the watch that winds the
spring on a self winding watch) to turn and wind the main spring.

Can it overwind my watch?

A winder cannot over wind an automatic watch.

Sounds good, but do I need one?Well,
If you have more than one automatic watch then you probably have
watches you are not wearing and their 'charge' is wearing down. If you
leave most automatic watches off your wrist for 48hours then they will
stop. It depends on how much the re-setting of the time and date bothers
you.

How about Kinetic and manual wind watches?

Kinetic watches work
with the same principal as automatic watches with a turning rotor to
charge up a capacitor/battery so yes a watchwinder can keep those
watches charged up. So far no one has produced a viable winder for
manual wind watches.

Does using a winder wear parts of my watch? Short answer is yes. You wouldn't leave your car running in your garage and expect no wear on the moving parts of the engine.

Is it really a winder you need?If
you are finding that your watch is not holding its power overnight when
off your wrist, then its not really a winder that you need, your
watch needs a service.

So it's just convenience then?Yes
of course. Winders are cool and owning one is a nice part of the watch
collecting hobby, but how hard is it to wind a watch and set the
time/date? Lets face it you don't leave your car running in the garage
overnight just so that it's warmed up and ready to go first thing every
morning?

Is there an exception?

Exceptions always prove
the rule, and highly complex perpetual calendar watches where calendar
setting requires certain procedures, so manufacturers advise that
they should always be run continuously. Frequent manual calendar setting
on these watches can be problematical and may cause accidental
damage so these watches often come with their own winders. However those
watches must undergo a factory service every 4-5years because they are
continuously run.

Why don't we carry them anymore?

We may be purists and
watch geeks here at the shop, but we think that watches are more than
just time telling devices. The fact you have a 300+ part miniature
machine on your wrist is supercool in itself, and the chance to interact
with it is in some ways a bit special. We firmly believe that there is
enjoyment in winding your watch. There should be solace in the ritual in
the same way owners of large clocks in big houses and the chosen men on
ships were entrusted to look after the timepiece that the institution
revolved around. Automatic movements have removed the daily manual
winding ritual, why go further?